Gas-washing apparatus



June 20, 1939. A. J. EB'NER GAS-WASHING APPARATUS Filed 001;. 22, 1937 l aten ted June 20, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to gas washing apparatus and more particularly to gas washing apparatus of the type in which raw or dirty gas is washed and/ or cooled by being brought into intimate scrubbing contact with water in very finely divided form, the water being broken into small particles within the apparatus.

Apparatus of this type finds a wide usage in cleaning and washing industrial gases suchas blast furnace gas.

In devices of this character, the major item of operating expense is the power cost of driving the mechanism. adapted to place the water in finely divided form and draw the gas through the apparatus. An object of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of apparatus of the character described in which the power cost is materially reduced and which is more efficient and reliable in operation than apparatus known to the art.

The invention broadly contemplates the provision in gas washing apparatus of a plurality of concentric rotating members adapted to break up water into finely divided form and bring it into scrubbing contact with raw dirty gas flowing through the apparatus. The concentric members may rotate at different speeds. In a preferred embodiment the inner smaller rotating member is fixedly mounted upon and driven by a shaft, while the outer rotating member is loosely mounted upon the shaft and is adapted to be driven by the fluid currents comprising gas and washing liquor radially and tangentially thrown from the inner rotating member.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein certain preferred embodiments are illustrated, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the improved apparatus, taken from the side thereof;

Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3, a vertical sectional view of a modification, showing the inner rotor partly in section and partly in elevation.

Referring to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the reference character 6 indicates a housing enclosing the apparatus and forming double gas inlet chambers I, a gas washing chamber, 8 and a gas outlet 9; the upper portion In of the casing is removable to afford ready access to the rotating members of the apparatus. A driven shaft II, suitably journaled in bearings I2, extends through a central portion of the casing and carries a rotor I3 rigidly secured thereto and disposed within the gas washing chamber 8. The rotor I3 is provided with a plurality of helically curved blades I4 radial to the shaft II.

A second, annular rotor I5, loosely mounted on the shaft 'I I by journals I6, surrounds the smaller inner rotor I3. The rotor I5 is equipped with a plurality of radially curved or fan type blades I! mounted upon a pair of spaced rings I8 supported by spoke members I9 to hub 2fl on bearings I6. The rotor I5 is adapted to be driven by the force of the gas and water thrown from the blades I4 of the inner rotor. The rotor I5 also serves to augment the pressure of the gas flowing through the apparatus.

A constant supply of clean washing liquor, which may be water, oil, ammonia, hot tar or the like, is fed to the interior of the gas washing chamber by means of water inlets 2 I, where it is converted into a spray by the impact with the blades of the rotors. The dirty raw gas is forced under pressure or sucked through the gas inlet chamber 1 into the gas washing chamber 8, where it is subjected to the scrubbing action of the rotor blades and brought into intimate contact with the washing liquor in finely divided form. The cleansed gas goes out through the outlet 9 and may be passed through a conventional water separator (not shown) to remove entrained water vapor. The drops of the dirty water fall to the base of the gas washing chamber and may be removed through a drain (not shown).

The modification shown in Fig. 3 is similar to the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 in that the apparatus comprises a pair of concentric rotors. The inner driven rotor I3 is provided with a plurality of radial helically curved blades I4 and is fixedly mounted or keyed to shaft I I at 25. A disc 26, or spoke members, is disposed in an intermediate position in the gas washing chamber 8 and bifurcates the inner rotor [3. The disc 26 is secured to a hub 21 loosely journaled on the shaft II. The outer side portions of the disc 26 fixedly carry a plurality of radially curved blade-segments 28, and it will thus be seen that the outer rotor is driven by the fluid currents comprising gas and washing liquor radially and tangentially thrown from the inner rotating member. The washing liquor is fed into the gas washing chamher by inlets 2| and obtains a ready access to the chamber in that the liquor does not have to pass between the spokes I9 as in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

It is to be understood that the invention in its broad aspects is not limited to concentric rotors and that more than two rotors may be employed if desired.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire V tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. Gas washing apparatus comprising a housing, a portion of said housing being readily res movable, a gas inlet to said housing, gas washing and outlet chambers within said housing, a driven shaft disposed in said housing, a rotor fixedly mounted on said shaft, a second rotor loosely mounted on said shaft and concentric to said first mentioned rotor, each of said rotors being equipped with gas scrubbing surfaces and means adapted to form a spray of washing fluid, each of said rotors rotating in the same direction, and an inlet supplying washing fluid to the interior of said gas washing chambers.

2. Gas washing apparatus comprising a housing, a gas washing chamber formed in a central portion of said housing, a pair of gas inlet chambers in said housing on two sides of said gas washing chamber and communicating thereto, a member rotatably mounted within said gas washing chamber, a second member rotatably mounted within said gas washing chamber and concentric to said first mentioned member, each of said members being equipped with means to form a spray of washing fluid and gas scrubbing surfaces,

chamber and concentric to said first mentioned member, each of said members being equipped with means to form a spray of washing fluid and gas scrubbing surfaces, said second mentioned member being driven in the same direction as said first mentioned member by the fiuid currents pro- J'ected from said member, an inlet supplying washing fluid to the interior of said gas washing chamber, an outlet from said gas washing chamber for washing gas, and a separator in said outlet for removing washing fluid from. said gas.

4. Gas washing apparatus comprising a housing, a gas washing chamber within said housing, a driven member rotatably mounted within said chamber, said members being equipped with V- shaped helical blades to form a spray of washing fluid and tending to accumulate said spray in the center of said chamber, a second rotatable member concentricto said first member adapted to be driven by the fluid projected from said first mentioned member, gas scrubbing surfaces on said second mentioned member, and an inlet supplying washing fiuid to said chamber.

ALFRED J. EBNER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,165,1bi. I J 959'- ALFRED J. EBNER;

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as followspPage 2, sec- 0nd column, line 21, claim 5, for the word -"washing" read washed; and that 'the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of Au ust, A. D. 1959.

Leslie Frazer ('Seal) Acting Gonnniseioner of Patents. 

